The Craven Champions Sale 2014 was one of the best on record with 65 Bullocks and Heifers brought out to show producing a very difficult task for the judges Lucy Corner and Annie Turnbull to carry out. There were some tremendously strong classes of Limousin and British Blue sired cattle, and the Supreme Champion Animal, receiving The Jack Walker Trophy, was found from the halter led British Blue Heifer class and was consigned by Chris Akrigg and family from Cray in Upper Wharfedale, who have won this event before. The animal took top price in show selling for £2,600 to D&R Sandham of Yeadon, Leeds. Reserve Champion was the 1^st Prize young  handlers heifer shown by Rob Walker of Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge. This much admired Blue Heifer sold for £1500 to The Turnbull family of Coxwold. A full list of results and prices below. The 22 Prize winners averaged £1406.81

SHOW RESULTS –

Class 1 – Bullock any breed

1^st CT Akrigg Lot 556 selling for £1120 to P&B Hodgson & Son

2^nd THW Farming Lot 729 selling for £1260 to Thompson Bros

Class 2 – Heifer any breed

1^st J Butler Lot 468 selling for £1180 JB Eastwood

2^nd J Butler Lot 467 selling for £1330 to Thompson Bros

3^rd JC Walker & Son Lot 529 selling for £1290 to Thompson Bros

Class 4 – Limousin sired heifer

1^st D Broadbent Lot 507 selling for £1480 to AA&E Critchley

2^nd S&T Fawcett Lot 369 selling for £2000 to N Tiffin

Class 5 – Brit Blue sired bullock

1^st CT Akrigg Lot 553 selling for £2000 to Delamore Farms

2^nd JC Walker & Son Lot 525 selling for £1420 to JB Eastwood

Class 6 – Brit Blue sired heifer

1^st CT Akrigg Lot 555 selling for £2600 to D&R Sandham

2^nd CT Akrigg Lot 554 selling for £1500 to M Keel

3^rd JH&SM Mason Lot 516 selling for £1340 to GD Nutt

Class 7 – Charollais sired bullock

1^st JH&SM Mason Lot 517 selling for £1660 to GD Nutt

Class 9 – Any of breed bullock

1^st J Walsh Lot 390 selling for £1210 to JB Eastwood

Class 10 – Any other breed heifer

1^st Saddle End Farms Lot 534 selling for £1200 to Thompson Bros

2^nd D Broadbent Lot 508 selling for £1040 to A Kaye

Class 11 – Young Handler 14-26

1^st JC Walker & Son Lot 527 selling for £1500 to RC Turnbull

2^nd AM&E Hartley Lot 364 selling for £1310 to JB Eastwood

3^rd B Lund Lot 354 Unsold

MALE CHAMPION – CT Akrigg Lot 553 selling for £2000 to Delamore Farms

FEMALE CHAMPION – CT Akrigg Lot 555 selling for £2600 to D&R Sandham

FEMALE RESERVE CHAMPION – JC Walker & Son Lot 527 selling for £1500 to RC Turnbull

OVERALL CHAMPION – CT Akrigg Lot 555 selling for £2600 to D&R Sandham

OVERALL RESERVE CHAMPION – JC Walker & Son Lot 527 selling for £1500 to RC Turnbull

PRICES AND AVERAGES

Bulls a shade easier on the fortnight with buyers prepared to compete strongly for the 9 to 10 month premium bulls in forward condition.

Young Bulls – Continental x average £857.94, Native x average £620.50

Charollais x         to £1000 av £862                Top Price – J&AJ Coates

Limousin x          to £1230 av £839                 Top Price – WH&MA Keighley

Blonde x             to £1100 av £835                 Top Price – R Wood

British Blue x      to £1300 av £889                  Top Price – EW&JR Parkinson & H&S Maudsley

Simmental x       to £1075 av £897                  Top Price – JH Wood

Beef S’Horn        to £600                                 Top Price – T Riley

Stabiliser            to £640                                 Top Price – TB Moorhouse

Black & White     to £620                                 Top Price – WH&MA Keighley

Principle Prices:  

£1300 £1080 H&S Maudsley; £1300 £1220 EW&JR Parkinson; £1260 £1230 £1180 £1140x2 £1080 WH&MA Keighley; £1170 £1090 JS Eddleston; £1160 KA&HL Fawcett; £1130x3 SJ Burton; £1130 BS Simpson; £1115 Mason & Gardner; £1100x2 R Wood; £1090 D&S Hollings; £1080 TC Altham;

Top price pen of three or more bulls

(£15 Prize) 3 Lim x @ £1130 SJ Burton, Knoll Top

(£10 Prize) 3 Lim x @ £940 RJ Challis & Son, Hazel Close Fm

Under 12mnths av £852.73

BBX: H&S Maudsley £1300; WH&MA Keighley £1260, £1180, £1140x2; JS Eddleston £1170

LimX: WH&MA Keighley £1230; SJ Burton £1130; BS Simpson £1130

Blonde X: R Wood £1100

13-17months to £1300 av £912.93

BBX: EW&JR Parkinson £1300, £1220, £960; PL Metcalfe £910

LimX: TC Altham £1080, T Robinson & Sons £920

Blonde X: J&G Huck £1070

Take aside the show cattle today which attracted a huge amount of interest, but the commercial store cattle and other premium entries were highly sought after, many customers both buyers and sellers calling them dearer that the previous sale. Strong cattle were noticeably dearer with the regular customers all appearing keener and a few more travelled buyers, many from Lincolnshire and the further down the Eastern counties being attracted by the larger numbers on offer at Skipton giving them an unrivalled choice to be able to fill lorries. Younger cattle were also good to sell, the top 2 priced pens of 3 or more Bullocks from Joe Drinkall and Roland Carr were only 10-11months old. Heifers were also in strong demand as buyers look to keep sheds topped up.

Store Bullocks – Continental x average £1068.64, Native average £853.22

Charolais x          to £1660 av £1050              Top Price – JH&SM Mason

Limousin x           to £1400 av £1077              Top Price – JA Drake

Blonde x              to £1240 av £1028              Top Price – K&J Marshall

British Blue x       to £2000 av £1315               Top Price – CT Akrigg

Simmental x        to £1060 av £751                 Top Price – RA Caton

Hereford             to £1190 av £1010                Top Price – J Cheetham

MRI                    to £880 av £818                    Top Price – D Beck

Saler                  to £1190                               Top Price – J Cheetham

Ab Angus            to £1210 av £820                  Top Price – J Walsh

Mont Bel             to £905                                 Top Price – At Rogerson

White Park          to £790                                 Top Price – MJ&PJ Campbell

Bazadaise           to £930                                 Top Price – E&M Townley

Black & White     to £910                                 Top Price – Ellis Bros

Principle Prices:  

£2000 CT Akrigg; £1660 JH&SM Mason; £1420 JC Walker & Son; £1400 JA Drake; £1395 £1380 £1370x2 £1340 £1260 E&AM Simpson; £1345 CH&OF Hammond; £1295 K&J Marshall; £1295x2 F&A Walmsley; £1290 D Broadbent; £1290 P&E Fox; £1265 JA Drake; £1260 TWH Farming;

Top price pen of three or more bullocks

Store Heifers – Continental x average £977.75, Native average £820.10

Charolais x          to £1200 av £831               Top Price – CH&OF Hammond

Limousin x           to £2000 av £914               Top Price – S&T Fawcett

Blonde x              to £1250 av £938               Top Price – E&M Townley

British Blue x       to £2600 av £1070             Top Price – CT Akrigg

Simmental x        to £1180 av £870               Top Price –R Holmes

Saler                   to £1100                           Top Price – J Cheetham

Pathanais             to £1025                           Top Price – JR&DL Ogden

A. Angus              to £1170 av £930               Top Price – E&M Townley

Black & White       to £600                             Top Price – JC Lund

Bazadaise            to £1300 av £1072              Top Price – E&M Townley

Principle Prices: 

£2600 £1500 CT Akrigg; £2000 £1500 £1320 £1300 S&T Fawcett; £1740 £1600 £1490 £1440 GW Wallbank; £1560 £1350 JH&SM Mason; £1500 £1370 JC Walker & Son; £1480 D Broadbent; £1380 Mesr Coates; £1350 £1300 E&M Townley; £1330 J Butler; £1310 AM&E Hartley; £1300 KA&HL Fawcett; £1300 Saddle End Farms;

Top price pen of three or more heifers

94 BREEDING CATTLE

A dispersal of Beef Breeding Cattle on behalf of DR Findlay of Coverham brought a packed ringside with 29 buyers drawn from the throughout the North of England and a large consignment of buyers from Lincolnshire. Topping the sale was the homebred 4year British Blue Stock Bull selling to John Corlett of Cockermouth for £3500. Continued interest was seen in the Hereford Cows and the dispersal represented an opportunity for purchasers to secure BVD vaccinated, scanned low maintenance cows.

Dispersal Cattle -

BBx Cows with Char Bull Calf                       to £1580

Hefd x Cows with BB x Hfr Calf                    to £1400

BB Stock Bull                                             to £3500

Char Stock Bull                                           to £1500

Hefd Cows Incalf 2^nd Calvers due Mar            to £1000

Hefd Cows Incalf 3^rd +Calvers due Mar          to £1400 av £1223

BBx Cows Incalf 3^rd +Calvers                        to £1400 av £1304

Other Prices –

BBx Cow with Lim x Bull Calf                        to £1500

BBx Cow with BBx Bull Calf                           to £1500

Lim x Cow with Lim x Bull Calf                      to £1450

Lim x Cow with Lim x Hfr Calf                       to £1650

Brit Blue Stock Bull                                      to £2400

Ab Angus Bull                                              to £910

AA Hfr Incalf                                                to £1160 av £1050

BBx Hfr Incalf                                              to £1700 av £1322